Help is on the Way
by elisheva
Summary: When Teresa Lisbon finds herself in danger she finds that Patrick Jane will stop at nothing to keep her feeling safe. Friendship piece.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Unfortunately, these characters aren't mine. Fortunately, I am allowed to borrow them and make them how I want them. Enjoy!**

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I'm going to kill him, Special Agent Teresa Lisbon thought as she got into the federal issued SUV she drove when on duty. "Damn you, Jane," she muttered out loud. Something consultant Patrick Jane said had been prickling at her for the past hour now so she felt complied to check out his hunch. Her other team members were out performing various tasks she had assigned them and Jane was somewhere being smug so Lisbon was on her own for the moment. Which was fine with her.

"No one just disappears," Jane had told them from the corner of Wayne Rigsby's desk he was leaning against, dressed, as always, in his three piece suits. "Most people try to work their way backwards from the time they vanish. But if you start at the beginning you can pick up the trail of things that are important to the victim. Clues to their whereabouts."

Teresa had ignored him at the time, sent her little minions to go play nice and interview the friends of missing 14 year old Lily Browning and went into her office to attack the never ending mounds of paperwork which seemed only there to give her an excruciating headache.

Now she was headed out of town to check out Lily's beginnings in a sense. Lily's mother had been married to the same man since her daughter was 2. According to Mrs. Browning Lily's father had never been in the picture. Lisbon was on her way to talk to the biological father and see what his story was.

What the hell, she thought. There were no other leads.


	2. Chapter 2

Patrick Jane had watched Special Agent Kimball Cho conduct interviews on numerous types of people with a dry sense that he worked very well. Gangsters, playboys, play_girls_, prostitutes, house wives- none seemed to phase him. But Patrick was secretly thrilled to be present when an interviewee stumped the unflaggable Cho. She was 15 years old.

"Ms. Johns, can you tell me what Lily liked to do in her spare time?"

Ms. Megan Johns was a "hostile witness". "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I'm with the FBI, ma'am. I'm trying to find out what happened to your friend. She was your friend, correct?"

The teen crossed her arms and glared at him from across the table in the small lounge the school had allowed the CBI agent to borrow. "Sure, we're friends. Real close."

Cho blinked. "Then why aren't you willing to help us?"

"She's not dead!" she burst out.

Cho straightened at that. "Ms. Johns, is there something you'd like to tell us? Something you know about Lily's disappearance?"

She looked like she was about to burst into tears so Patrick stepped forward from the corner he was observing from and addressed the girl. "Megan...May I call you Megan?"

The girl managed to look miserable and defiant at the same time as only a teenager could. But she nodded at him all the same.

He held his hand out and gave her a smile to calm her. "Hey, Megan. My name is Patrick. Agent Cho and myself are doing everything in our power to bring Lily back home alive and well."

Megan shook his larger hand and glared at Cho. "_He_ makes her sound like she's already dead. But she's not! She can't be. We've been best friends since second grade."

Patrick sat down in the extra seat next to Cho. "I'm sorry that you thought we were already writing her off from the living. One of the pitfalls of the job, I'm afraid." He looked to Cho and waited for his slight nod before he took over for the moment. Cho could be territorial with his interviews at times. Cho acquiesced so Patrick leaned forward and gently captured Megan's hand in both of his- giving the appearance as a confident and friend, not as a cop.

Her hand flinched but allowed his warmth to stay.

"Second grade is a long time to be friends," he commented easily.

Megan seemed to draw strength from their touch and managed to blink her tears and hysteria away. "Best friends," she corrected.

"Ah," he said, smiling so she knew he wasn't patronizing her. "What makes someone a best friend?"

"Loyalty," she immediately said. "Someone who's there even when no one else is. Someone you don't mind spending your time with. Someone who can read your mind."

Patrick widened his smile and looked to Cho. "Now that's the best definition I've ever heard."

"Sure is," Cho agreed in his monotone.

"Now, Megan," Patrick said, turning back to her and squeezing her hand slightly, "what happened in second grade specifically that bound you and Lily for life?"

After an amount of time and questions from both Patrick and Cho, Patrick had one more thing to ask.

"Megan, where is Lily now?"

"If I knew I would tell you, I swear!"

He nodded. "I know. But you are the closest person to Lily. When I ask you where she could be does something- someplace- pop into your mind?"

She shook her head miserably. "Nothing."

Patrick leaned back before pointing at her as if just getting an idea. "What is your gut telling you?"

"Her gut?" Cho interrupted, looking skeptical.

"People who are close tend to share an invisible bond. It's true between twins, long married spouses. Even best friends." He turned back to Megan. "So, what is your gut instinct?"

"She's alive," she insisted.

"What else?"

"She's scared but she'll make it."

Patrick sat up, alert. "Why?"

Megan's eyes filled with tears. "She's a fighter. When her dad came before she broke free."

"Her dad?" Cho asked. "Could he have her now?"

She shook her head. "He died about a week ago in a car wreck. She didn't even go to his funeral."


	3. Chapter 3

Apparently Jimmy Ramage, Lily's biological father, had died not five days prior in a fiery automobile accident. His parents were also dead, although they had died less exuberantly of natural causes.

The only thing Teresa had learned on this visit was he missed his daughter fiercely but was given a raw deal by Lily's mother and stepfather.

Oh, and she should really research things _before_ striking out like a rookie.

Her phone rang, breaking her from her foul thoughts. "Lisbon."

"My dearest Teresa Lisbon. How goes your afternoon? Lovely as you I hope."

She gritted her teeth. "Cut the crap, Jane. What do you want?"

His calm voice came through as smug as normal. "Methinks something vexes thee."

"Yes, as a matter-of-fact it is. I went, on _your_ hunch, to visit the town where Lily was conceived only to find there was nothing to find. Lily's father--"

"Is dead," Jane finished.

Teresa let out a noise that was a cross between a growl and a scream before yelling into the phone, "A fact that would have been helpful several hours ago, Jane!"

"I didn't know several hours ago, Teresa."

She let out an imaginative curse as droplets of rain hit her windshield. "Look, it's starting to rain, I'm pissed off at you--"

"_Me_? What'd I do this time?"

"I'll see you in about 30 minutes, Jane."

"Wait, Lisbon--"

She derived great pleasure in hanging up her cell on him. Childish, true, but it made her feel better.

It took her ten minutes to convince herself maybe it wasn't _all_ Jane's fault. Another two before she realized the pickup truck behind her was following way too close in the downpour they were in. Then the pickup started to pass her on the two lane road. Then several things happened at once.

Her passenger window exploded. Shots? Oh my God, I'm being shot at. She grabbed the cell phone she had dropped in the cup holder and without thinking hit the redial as she saw the man hold up the gun again. Answer, answer, answer, she begged as she tried to speed her vehicle up to keep out of sight of the bullet.

"I knew you'd reconsider," the cocky voice said.

"Jane, shut up! Listen to me."

"What's wrong?" The seriousness in his tone made her want to laugh.

"Caucasian male. Pickup. Dark. Shooting," she managed.

"Where are you?"

She thanked God he was intelligent enough not to ask pointless questions. "I don't know! There's no landmarks. Wait. Oh, shit!" she said as she heard then felt the crash of the vehicle into hers.

"What's happening?"

Teresa knew she was bad off when Jane's infuriating calmness was soothing to her. "He's going to run me off the road. I'm going to die," she saw clearly.

"You're not going to die!" Jane said, forcefully. "I'm on my way right now."

She tucked the cell between her shoulder and ear to try to fight the wheel. Still, the metal guardrail was scrapping and she could see nothing over the side. "It'll be too late," she told him, seeing the end of the rail ahead.

"No, I was too late for my wife. I won't be too late for you."

The end of the guardrail was the end of other safety net no matter how hard she fought it. "I'm sorry," she told him as she felt her front drivers side tire leave the asphalt.

"Damnit, Teresa. I'm coming for you. Just--"

The rest was lost as her SUV completely left the road and went tumbling end over end, speeding towards a corpse of trees. She knew she was screaming, was helpless to stop it.

Finally, she came to rest, a massive tree stopping the fall, she forced herself to remain conscious. She had blood on her hands and a quick glance in the intact rear view mirror showed cuts on her face and a painful knot on her temple.

"Hurry, Teresa. He might be after you," she told herself, not really sure if she actually said it out loud.

Her vision was threatening to go out as she unhooked her seatbelt and painfully made her way across the seat.

Her phone! She found it by the pedals and shoved it in her pocket.

The rain helped steady her a bit but she stumbled more than once- the last time she couldn't get the strength to stand back up. Or even crawl.

As the darkness took over her she thought she heard a man's voice. "Look what we have here..."


	4. Chapter 4

They found where Teresa went off the road easier than they thought they would. The rain had abetted and the locals they hailed while Patrick was on the phone with her were already there.

The whole team was quiet as they sped to the scene of the accident. Patrick had told them what she had said only leaving out the heart rendering scream and the sounds of metal crashing. And silence. He forced himself to take deep calming breaths and had managed to relax somewhat.

Until they pulled next to the police cars.

"Oh my God, is that fire?" Grace Van Pelt asked in horror.

Patrick hurried out of the SUV, ignoring Cho's "Jane, wait!" Unmindful of what the mud was doing to his shoes, he slipped and slid down the bank, eyes only for the blazing vehicle. He was aware of police officers coming to stop his progress but he knew the team following him would take care of the details.

Finally, a hand on his arm stopped him. He looked at the boy pretending to be an officer. "Is she out?"

"Sir, it was like this when we got here. It's too hot to go further."

He shook the hand off of him and took a step forward when an explosion filled the air. He instinctively threw an arm over his face, feeling the heat through his suit. Before anyone could stop him he made his way closer until it was uncomfortable, then closer still. "Jane!" somebody yelled behind him but he didn't care. He leaned forward.

And was being bodily hauled back.

He looked back confused and saw it was Cho.

Cho looked furious. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I was just looking," Patrick explained in a calm he did not feel.

Cho took Patrick's left hand and showed him the palm. "Just looking doesn't explain why you put your palm in the flames."

He peered at his hand in disinterest. "Huh. I didn't feel it."

Cho rolled his eyes. "It's a wonder."

Van Pelt and Rigsby made it to him and, much to his surprise, Grace buried herself in his chest. "What were you thinking?" she asked him in a watery voice, clearly crying.

Rigsby looked close to tears too. "Boss would have been mad at that stupidity, Jane."

Patrick grinned slightly. "Well, let's ask her."

The three of them looked at him like he had gone insane. "How?" Cho asked, afraid to be hopeful.

"Well, I suppose first we have to find her." He threw a thumb over his shoulder at the flaming SUV. "She's not in there."

"You sure?" Van Pelt asked.

"Aren't I always." He pulled his cell out of his pocket careful of his left hand which didn't hurt yet but, by the looks of it, would soon and dialed Lisbon's number on a whelm.

After a few seconds of silence the team looked disappointed. "Maybe it's on vibrate," Rigsby suggested.

"Sh," Patrick told him and began to walk further into the wooded area, listening. If the man ran her off the road it reasoned she would not go back that way. Hearing a sound he walked towards a pile of leaves. "Lisbon?" he said softly. Dropping to his knees he swept the wet leaves aside.

When the others found him he help up the discarded cell phone grimly. "He's taken her."

Cho nodded just as grim. "Wherever she is, we'll find her."


	5. Chapter 5

She woke up with a start. Her arms were numb from their position above her head but when she tried to lower them they wouldn't budge. Teresa slowly moved her aching head and saw with horror that she was handcuffed to the bed she was lying on.

Hell! Where was she?

She inched her body up to give her arms some slack before finally being about to rest in a sitting position. Her arms still hurt but it was better than nothing.

She looked around the room to find she was alone- for the moment- in a pretty non-descript motel room. The window curtain was closed but she could tell it was sunny outside.

Teresa wondered how long she had been there. She vaguely remembered it raining. Her clothes were dry and stiff. At least a day then.

Think, Teresa, she ordered herself, choosing to ignore her hunger and extreme thirst for the moment. First things first. She needed to get herself help. Which would mean getting out of the room. Off the bed. She was handcuffed- Ok, what about them?

Several minutes later her small wrists were rubbed raw, bleeding slightly in some places and she had tears in here eyes from her frustration that she was, indeed captive. For the moment.

The motel door opened and she noted trees past the parking lot, a dark blue pickup directly outside. The man that walked in looked to be Rigsby's height but Jane's frame. He looked surprised to see her awake and sitting upright.

"Thought you'd never wake up," he told her.

"How long was I out?" she managed with her dry voice.

She watched him sit at the small table by the shaded window. "Two days," he said nonchalantly.

Two days! God, how her people must be worried. No wonder she was so damn thirsty. "You know, it's against the law to kidnap an officer," she managed to say, knowing it was quite stupid.

He took some food out of the bag he brought with him and blinked at her. "Now, how was I to know you was a cop? Guess I can't give you back now, being a law and all."

She took a breath and searched for her negotiation skills. "I can help you. Let me go now and I'll make sure you serve no time."

He slurped his drink in thought. "See, way I see it is I have many choices in this situation."

"My team will find me," she blurted out.

He grinned at her. "But find you alive or dead?"

She froze. "What do you want?"

His face turned fierce. "What do I want? I want you team to do their job and find Lily."

Teresa looked at the man, judged him the right age but..."All reports say Jimmy Ramage is dead."

He laughed. "I'm not Lily's dad. I'm her uncle."


	6. Chapter 6

"I found out that Lily Browning- Ramage had a 17 year old boyfriend on the sly," Van Pelt was telling them at their update meeting in their office.

Patrick shifted his weight.

As if clued in to his uneasiness Rigsby spoke up. "What about Agent Lisbon?"

Cho was lead agent until Lisbon got back. "Rigsby, we've been through this. We can't be sure the two cases are related and there's been another team picked to cover Lisbon's disappearance."

Rigsby tilted his head. "Well, I think the cases are related. How about you, Jane?"

"I do," Jane agreed, "but let's not quibble."

Cho looked resigned. "I can only do so much," he tried to explain.

"No, we understand," Patrick assured him. "When Lisbon contacts us we will take over from there."

Van Pelt looked up at him. "Do you really think she'll contact us, Jane?" she asked him.

He looked grimly at her. "I hope so because right now we don't have much to work on."

"Now, Van Pelt," Cho said, "tell me about this boyfriend of Lily's."

Each day that passed made Patrick more worried and bothered. Who knew how Lisbon actually was- whether she was sad, alone, scared, dying. And each day without word was another day without reassurance that she would be ok.

It wasn't until the fourth afternoon that Patrick received a phone call and realized how fatalistic his thoughts and ideas had become.

Patrick was lying on his couch, wanting to be near the team when he heard his cell phone ring. "Patrick Jane," he answered, not recognizing the incoming number.

"Ah, Mr. Jane," a deep voice said. "So nice to actually get to hear your voice."

Jane sat up slowly. "Forgive me but do I know you?"

The man laughed. "Not yet. But you will. You see, I'm holding something dear of yours and you are the key to something dear of mine."

His mind was racing. Could it be related? Who could get his cell phone number? "What could be so dear to both of us that you would take the time to notify me of the details?"

The man chuckled. "I am looking at a very pretty woman I am willing to trade for."

Patrick thought he heard a whimper over the phone. "Don't you hurt her!" he blurted out, getting the attention of the others by accident. "You'll get nothing from me if you harm what's mine."

The man snarled now. "Bring me Lily and you'll get your precious agent back in one piece."

"I want proof of life," Patrick told him, ignoring the team surrounding him. "I have to know she's alive before we have a deal."

"Talk to the phone, fed."

"No," Patrick demanded, getting his attention once more. "Let me acutally talk to her. She can tell me something only she would know and you can be there just in case."

"Fine," the man grumbled. "Tell him something secret."

Patrick hit the speaker on his phone but gestured for his companions to be quiet so he could concentrate. "Teresa?"

"Patrick!"

"Is he listening?"

"Yes."

"Beside you or on the line."

"No, I gave him your cell phone."

He nodded in thought. "Tell me what you can."

"Oh, Patrick. I've been thinking about the Manning case and how we snuck into that chain hotel for a couple of hours. We didn't see much of the view but what we did see was picturesque."

Patrick ignored the strange looks. "What does this man want with Lily?"

"Same thing you want, baby."

"Who is he?"

She laughed a little. "Why didn't you just say so, Patrick? But do you mind if we tell Gracie you're an uncle? I know Wayne is dead but I think it might help the transition."

"Time's up!" the man announced and Patrick quickly turned it back to normal mode. "Now, I want to meet in 30 minutes behind the Save-a-Lot in Lily's town."

Although Patrick wanted to get Lisbon that second he shot up a silent note to her to hang on a little while longer. "I would love to but it just can't be done."

"I thought you wanted your woman back."

"I do. That's how you know I'm not playing you false. You want Lily but I don't have her."

"Have she gone back to her lying mother?"

Good grief, Patrick thought. To think most custody battles are fought in court. How mundane. "Not at all. We haven't picked her up yet although we've narrowed the possibilities. Give me 24 hours to locate her and close this case. Tomorrow behind the Save-a-Lot. Shall we say high noon?"

"You release Lily to me then I'll give you directions to the cabin I'm holding Mrs. State Officer."

Patrick grinned slightly as he hung up the cell. "It's Miss," he said to nobody. "Ok," he told the group of three that were _still_ staring at him, "the only thing we need to do to get Lisbon out of the cabin Mr. Ramage has her in is to get Lily to him."

Van Pelt started. "But you lied to him, Jane. We can't do that."

"And Lisbon's not being kept in a cabin," he told her as if that cleared up everything. "She's being kept in a chain motel with a view of nature. Didn't you listen, Grace?"

She turned as red as her hair. "I thought it was a private moment."

Patrick smiled winningly at her. "That was no more real than you being her child and Rigsby her dead husband. Now, I have a plan..."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry it has been a while! Hope you are still here...**

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She was tired. And weak. Hearing Jane's voice, knowing the others were there rallied her, gave her enough strength to try to give them a description of where she was without tipping off her captor. But now she was exhausted.

Her second day there she had given up asking for food or water when he laughed at her and asked, "Why would I give you the fuel to fight me?"

Now she rested her head on the wall above the headrest she was chained to and watched him eat another fast food meal. She hoped he choked on every single bite and vowed to buy a value meal as soon as she broke free. Because she would get free.

Teresa tried to keep her eyes open but it was easier to go to sleep, to be unconscious until they came. she was just afraid each slip under would be her last...


	8. Chapter 8

Patrick tried not to get upset or pushy with the man who was the office manager at the hotel. Russians were naturally mistrusting of the next man and his visitors badge for the CBI wasn't exactly the most convincing. Finally, he managed to convince the OM to either open the requested door or he would damage it breaking it open himself.

"Owner of dis room. He come back," warned the man. "He not like you in room."

Patrick smiled as if patient with the man. "I'll take full responsibly should the young man comes back while I'm here. Now, please. open the door."

He saw Lisbon almost immediately, chained to the small bed as if she were some kind of animal. The hit in his gut was almost instantaneous.

As he walked up to her he could hear the Russian behind him. "I know nothink of white slavery ring. This CBG joke, yes?"

Patrick ignored the Soviet as he approached Lisbon. He could see that she still breathed but her face- her cheeks seemed so sunken in. As he reached for her, her eyes opened.

"Jane?"

He forced the worry out of his expression and grinned easily. "Hey, Lisbon. Been missing you telling me what to do."

She rattled the handcuffs holding her, although it was very weak. "Get me out of here."

Patrick studied the store bought cuffs before reaching into one of his many pockets. "Don't look," he told her as he proceeded to pick the lock.

Her eyes were half open. "Who's the fat guy in the door?"

He made a triumphant sound as he snapped the cuffs open. "OM."

She gave a half snarl towards him, her head resting against the wall. "Should arrest him for harboring an officer kidnapper."

Patrick glanced over his shoulder. "Lisbon, there's no need for senseless paperwork."

She could barely hold open her eyes. "Jane, I'm tired."

He bent over and stood, cradling her to him. "A little while longer," he told her, "then you can sleep."

Lisbon used what little strength she had to keep her forehead against his neck and clutching his suit in her fists. "You saved me," she told him in surprise.

He got her outside and worked on tucking her into the passenger seat. "I did." he stopped moving after he buckled her in. "Your job is to stay awake for me."

"Ok."

He didn't like her sunken cheeks, her pale look. he wished he had something to give her but he figured the hospital would be the best decision maker for what she needed.

He headed for where he knew the nearest hospital was. Lisbon's eyes were closed when he glanced over at her. "Staying awake for me?" he asked her.

She opened her dark eyes once more. "Yes, awake." she looked around. "Where are we going in such a hurry?"

Patrick grinned at her. "Doctor's office. I want to get you well."

She managed to give him a look. "Why? You always complain that I harass you and make you do things you want nothing to do with."

His grin widened. "I believe you are confusing me with your team. You've never once convinced me to do something I didn't want to do."

Lisbon was quiet for a moment until he took their vehicle into the ER parking lot. "This isn't a doctor's office," she muttered.

He shot her a wide smile. "It's an office building filled with doctors."

She looked at him half-lidded. "Jane, this is a hospital. I feel fine."

He rolled his eyes. "You've not eaten in, what, a week? You need IV fluids."

She frowned. "When'd you get your MD?"

"Hey! I've seen ER and House," he protested, parking in the closest parking place he could find. "Stay there. I'll come get you."

"I can walk myself, Jane."

"Oh, this I've got to see," he muttered as he got out of the vehicle and walked around. Lisbon had managed to open the door and stick one foot out. Patrick crossed his arms. "I'm waiting."

He was pleased to see her gaunt face turn slightly pink with embarrassment. "I got dizzy. Give me a moment."

"Tell you what. How about you suck it up and let me be a man for once."

"You mean carry me like a child?"

"I mean carry you like an injured woman who needs some pampering."

She sighed. "Fine." Once in his arms she hid her face in his neck again before saying, "Besides, you smell nice."

He grinned as he carried her through the automatic doors.


	9. Chapter 9

Once you had been to one emergency room you've seen them all. Understaffed, overworked nurses whose primary job was to decided whose life was more important.

Patrick made Lisbon's nurses choice easier. "I've got an officer here," he announced upon entering the area.

Immediately two nurses, one doctor, and a bed appeared. "What can you tell us?" the older doctor wanted to know.

Even after putting Lisbon on the stretcher her fingers seemed to grab his sleeve. He didn't try to move them. "Teresa Lisbon. She just spent the last five days as the hostage in a hostage situation which started as a car wreck."

The doctor leaned over Lisbon and tried to peer into her sluggish eyes. "When's the last time you ate, sweetheart?"

She flinched. "I don't know," she whispered.

"Allergic to anything?"

"Penicillin," Patrick answered for her. "That's it."

"Ok, we're going to take her to get some tests done," the doctor told him. "As soon as we know something you'll know something. In the meantime there is some paperwork for you to fill out and there's some coffee over there."

He passed on the coffee and wished he could pass on the paperwork as well. While he was muddling through it his cell phone rang. Seeing no signs barring phones he answered it. "Yeah."

There was a slight pause. Then, "'Yeah'? That how you professionally answer your phone?"

He grinned. "That's why caller ID was invented- so people like me could annoy people like you. Oh, I found Lisbon, Cho. Is it ok if I list you as an emergency contact? I listed myself as well."

"Jane, where are you?"

He named the hospital he was currently sitting in.

"Is she ok?" Cho asked, emotion actually present in his voice.

"Nothing food and rest shouldn't help." Patrick noticed a nurse heading towards him. "Oops, gotta go."

"See you soon."

"Sir," the pretty woman said as she got closer to him. "Are you here with the officer?"

"Teresa Lisbon," he supplied. "And, yes, I'm wading through her papers right now."

"Sir, Dr. Stewart asks if you could come immediately."

Patrick stood at once. "What's happening? Is she ok?"

She gave a slight smile as she led the way. "It seems Ms. Lisbon is overwrought and as she might have suffered head trauma he is more willing to break protocol than medicate her. And she won't let him touch her."

"I see," he said, although he really didn't. Lisbon never would listen to him so he wasn't sure why he was being summoned.

They had her in the CT room. as soon as she saw him she looked about to burst into tears, much to his surprise. "Jane, where the hell were you?"

He calmly walked over to her, placing his warm hands on her thin shoulders. "I was filling out all the hospital paperwork so I give my sincere thanks for saving me from that duty."

"You disappeared. Ramage had me again." She looked down to see the IVs coming out of her arms. "Oh, no! He's going to bleed me dry!"

Patrick took her hands into his and forced her to look into his eyes. "Teresa, as you can clearly see I am right here. Jonah Ramage is on his way to jail and can never get you again. Besides, he was too simple to place IVs in you."

"I want to go home. Please take me home."

He shook his head. "No deal. You're doing this CT scan." He looked around and located the doctor. "Dr. Stewart, it appears Officer Lisbon is experiencing some residual fear. Would it be possible if I stayed and talked her through the test?"


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This was a fun chapter to write!**

* * *

Patrick figured the book section of the hospital's gift shop could use a revamp in its supplies. He had a choice between raunchy covered romances or 100 page mysteries he would finish in an hour. Finally, he decided on the latest Nora Roberts _In Death_ book, bought a stuffed bear and penguin and went back to the ER waiting area to wait for Lisbon to finish x-rays and get into a room and to wait for the team to arrive. He was taking silent bets on who would summon first.

He was right.

He had made it to the middle of his chosen book when his name being called made his tousled curls come up. The team had arrived. He took note of his page before placing it down and standing.

Van Pelt reached him first and hugged him tightly. "How is she?" she asked as Cho and Rigsby reached them.

Patrick's discarded vest, rolled up sleeves, and untucked shirt were testament to his time sitting there. "The CT scan showed no concussion from the nasty goose egg on her temple. She's weak and slightly pissed off," he said with a half grin.

Rigsby smiled back. "That's our boss."

A pretty nurse approached them. "Mr. Jane?"

Patrick turned an automatic smile to her. "Yes?"

"Your wife is in a room and asking for you."

The whole team snorted.

"Oh, she's not my wife," Patrick told her. "But she thinks she's my boss."

The nurse smiled in a confused way. "Room 344. I'll show you the way."

Patrick began gathering his things, handing the bear over to Van Pelt.

"Did you buy this for Lisbon?" she asked him.

He gave her his winning smile. "No, she didn't strike me as the teddy bear type of person." He paused. "But you did," he said with a wink.

She hugged her bear tight to her chest with a smile.

When they opened the door to room 344 they were greeted with a surprise- Teresa Lisbon was sitting straight up in her bed, looking wide-eyed and...hyper?

"Patrick!" she greeted enthusiastically, throwing her arms out enough it disturbed her monitors. "Where _were _you? I missed you!" Then she noticed the others who were filing into the room behind him. "Grace! Wayne! Kimball!" She clapped her hands. "Are we having a party?" Her eyes grew even wider. "Am I invited?"

The team looked at each other in confusion. Rigsby finally spoke up. "Uh, Boss, you feeling ok?"

Lisbon smiled. "Fine, thank you."

Patrick placed his things down on the wide window sill and walked over to the hanging IVs to study the clear liquid in the bags. "Anything good?" he asked with a smirk, trying to understand the large medical jargon on each bag.

She looked up at him. "Dunno. But all I have to do is push this little button and everything bad goes away!" She held up the mechanism in her hand closest to him.

Patrick gently pried it from her tiny hand and let her clutch his free hand while he released what he believed to be the morphine to hang to the floor. "There's nothing bad here, Teresa."

Teresa seemed enthralled with his captured hand. "They are so majestic," she said as she peered closely at it.

"His _hands_ are majestic?" Cho spoke up from where he was standing at the end of the bed.

Lisbon looked up in surprise. "Cho? When did you get here?"

He cocked his head in confusion. "I've been here."

Patrick shook his head slightly behind her. "Morphine," he told them.

"Ooh, Grace! What a pretty bear," Lisbon commented, distracted again. "What's its name?"

Van Pelt blinked as she released her clutches of the animal to hand it to the outstretched hands of the patient. "Name, Boss?"

Teresa fingered the soft bear as she nodded. "You have to name him. Or her. I name everything."

Released from her grip Patrick moved to the window and produced the soft penguin he had purchased. "How about this one, Lisbon? What's his name?"

Her eyes lit up and the nameless bear was forgotten. "Mine?" she asked in childlike wonder.

Patrick grinned back at the overmedicated woman. "Only if you name him."

"Sanchez," she said, decisively and received her named prize.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Sadly, everything must end...**

* * *

The room was dark when Teresa opened her eyes and her heart raced as she moved her wrists, trying to break free of the handcuffs. Her hands moved freely, only hindered by the IVs in both arms. She forced herself to slow her breathing and let her eyes get used to the faint light coming underneath the closed door.

Once she could see Teresa confirmed she was in a hospital room, vaguely remembering being brought in from testing. Then she noticed she wasn't alone.

Stretched out on a chair that apparently doubled as a bed in some kind of Chinese torture chamber was Patrick Jane, psychic extraordinaire, who, amazingly, appeared to actually be asleep.

Teresa realized she needed to go to the bathroom with a severe urgency. And she was tied up with all sorts of tubes. Frowning, she looked at the offensive things for a few seconds before deciding to do something about it. She yanked them out.

She hadn't counted on the loud beeping that followed and she felt really bad when it startled Jane out of sleep.

He saw her sitting on the side of her bed and was immediately beside her. "What's wrong?"

"I need to pee and I wasn't taking those damn things with me."

She saw white against his skin and knew he had flashed his famous smile. "Come on. While you're in there I'll hold off the masses."

When she opened the door back to her room she found Jane was holding court to three- count them _three_- nurses. Teresa blinked crossly at the lit room. "Why are all these lights on? It's in the middle of the freaking night." Since she was feeling shaky she didn't mind Jane helping her back into bed.

One of the nurses actually smiled at her. "Well, Mrs. Lisbon, we thought you'd escaped although with such a sweet and attentive husband I don't know why."

Teresa rolled her eyes at the smirking Jane. Why do people insist on feeding his ego? "I would be most happy to escape this place as soon as I am given my get-out-of-jail-free card."

The nurse frowned as they hooked her back into the system. "Are you in some pain, Mrs. Lisbon? You know you have a morphine pump."

Jane quickly intercepted that. "It seems she has a bad reaction to that and while it is quite amusing might prove counteractive to her recovery."

Once the nurses had left she looked at him. "Amusing?"

He grinned and handed over a penguin. "His name is Sanchez."

She smiled as she accepted and cuddled with him until she was asleep once again.

When Teresa was finally cleared from the hospital she made a beeline for home, courtesy of Jane. Once she was there she tried immediately to shove him out. Unsuccessfully.

"I've seen enough of you the past few days to last a lifetime, Jane," she told him testily.

He sat on the couch and yawned. "Just let me rest a couple of minutes, Lisbon. I haven't got much sleep lately."

She sat a cushion down from him and frowned. "Oh, don't pull that crap with me. You _never_ get sleep."

"Just because I don't _get_ sleep doesn't mean I don't _need_ sleep," he pointed out.

She let him rest his eyes for a moment before giving in to the temptation. "Ok, I want to know how you did it."

He opened his eyes, turned her head, and cocked an eyebrow. "Did what?"

"Convinced Ramage the coast was clear."

Jane grinned. "Oh, that was easy. I was betting on Ramage never seeing Lilly so I got a replacement."

"Who?"

"Van Pelt."

Teresa snorted in laughter. "Seriously, she's going to get a complex soon. How'd you pass her off as 14?"

"Long distance in a car."

"Not too bright was he," she said, dryly.

Jane's grin grew. "He thought he had an ace in the hole with you."

"He didn't know about you."

"You have to have a plan."

Teresa grinned. "And you, Patrick Jane, always do."


End file.
